ABAP to pick SEA Games team early

MANILA, Philippines - Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) president Ricky Vargas said yesterday the team of seven males and four females to represent the country in the Laos Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will be picked in July, ruling out a repetition of the previous practice of making late choices.

ABAP executive director Ed Picson told The Star the fighters will be evaluated based on their performance in a series of upcoming international tournaments. At the moment, the national pool consists of 21 males and 12 females.

“We’re putting a lot of emphasis on preparation,” said Picson. “We expect tough opposition in Laos, particularly from Thailand. There is talk that Singapore is beefing up and may enlist Chinese fighters. We’re not taking any chances. If we choose our fighters by July, we’ll have lots of time to get them mentally and physically ready for the SEA Games in December.”

Picson said the ABAP was recently invited by Australia to hold a dual training camp for at least five days in Canberra then compete in the Arafura Games in Darwin on May 9-16. There is also the World Junior Championships in Yerevan, Armenia, on May 23-30.

But the real test will come during a 30 to 45-day grind in Cuba in June. ABAP’s Cuban coaches Enrique Steyners and Dagoberto Rojas will arrange for Filipino fighters to join weekly high-level tournaments and learn from Olympic champions.

Once the team is formed for the SEA Games, Picson said the fighters will get additional exposure at the World Championships in Milan on Sept. 1-12.

Picson said ABAP chairman Manny Pangilinan wants the national fighters to intensify their training for the SEA Games where the country failed to capture a single gold medal in 11 men’s divisions two years ago.

“We’ve got our marching orders,” said Picson. “As Mr. Vargas remarked, a gold is a gold and that’s the goal. We’re open to breaking tradition and supporting Filipino fighters training abroad, like 16-year-old featherweight Robin Palileo who is based in Australia.”

Pangilinan recently handed out cash rewards for the Filipino medalists who participated in the 31st King’s Cup in Bangkok last April 4-9. Lightwelterweight Genebert Basadre received P20,000 for bringing home the silver medal while lightflyweight Gerson Nietes and lightweight Joegin Ladon were given P10,000 each for pocketing a bronze.

Six Filipinos made up the squad that saw action in Bangkok. In all, the team won six and lost six. Failing to pick up a single win were bantamweight Joan Tipon (who lost an 11-5 decision to Thailand’s Chatchai Butdee) and flyweight Aston Francis Palicte (who was outpointed, 14-10, by Thailand’s Gnaognam Chatree).

Featherweight Charly Suarez beat Laos’ Chantasone Xayyalak, 12-1, before bowing to Thailand’s Masuk Wuttichai, 16-6, in the quarterfinals. Ladon trounced Turkmenistan’s Amangeldi Hudaybergenov, 15-5, but suffered a long cut under the right eye from an elbow in the process. He withdrew from his semifinal bout because of the injury and settled for the bronze.

Nietes, 17, was the revelation. He stormed back from six points down to outlast Syria ‘s Wardie Halder, 23-19, and whipped Russia’s Alexander Samoylov, 7-3, but couldn’t get untracked in his semifinals match against Thai veteran Keaw Pangprayoon. Nietes was down, 0-9, when coaches Ronald Chavez and Elmer Pamisa threw in the towel before the start of the third round.

“Nietes wanted to continue fighting but it was futile,” said Picson. “We didn’t want to frustrate him further.”

Basadre, 25, ousted Korea’s Joun Buk Hwan, 16-6, and Thailand’s Maethee Namuang, 15-3, but was blanked by Thailand’s Apichet Sansit, 13-0, in the finals.

It was the best Philippine finish in the King’s Cup since Chavez and Roel Velasco bagged golds in 1991.